to ask if anyone's interested in a 2017 Weight Watchers thread?

[JenniferYellowHat1980]

First off, I know there's a dedicated area in big/slim/whatever but I'm after traffic as it's a bit quiet in the WW section. Second, I know that 5:2 and low carb are popular on MN but neither of them suit me whereas I've lost weight with WW in the fairly distant past and regained due to unrelated issues which I'll leave out for now. I'm sure there are plenty of opinions on why it doesn't work but for me it does.

Just wondering if anyone is thinking of signing up and would like a support thread over on the WW board. I have at least 4st to lose and would appreciate it. I can't go to meetings as they don't fit in with work, so will be doing it online (half price on the website at the moment and Top Cashback give a few quid back). Anyone in?

The Fitbit app links up with the WW app. I think you can use a certain number of activity points a week? But it's capped at that point.

EditEcho - thanks. I have increased my activity in the last few weeks. I am now earning over 130 fitpoints a week at the moment. I was doing very little excercie/walking until 7 months ago when I bought myself an activity tracker. I managed 15k steps on Mother's Day, which is a lot for me. Also doing a dance exercise class now. I hadn't been to an exercise class for more than 25 years prior to that! My morning walk is now at a much faster pace than it was before too. I am going to try really hard to not use many fitpoints this week. Last week my daily points dropped by 2 a day and I was eating out three times last week, so found it a bit tricky to manange, but still had plenty of fitpoints left at the end of the week.

Tried a few no count days earlier in the year. Gained 4lbs that week! So I have been put off a bit. Did convert one of the no count days to points to compare and it was only one point more than my daily points, so not sure why the result was so bad that week!

As I have previously mentioned, I am going through the change, with erratic cycles now, so I do think that may be affecting my results too. It isn't good feeling like I am suffering with PMT and feeling bloated for three weeks whilst waiting for my period which was 2.5 weeks late!

Hope you aren't affect too much by the monthly bloat EditEcho at your next weigh in.

Gingerbreadmam - yes it is a bit of a shock with the sweet treats coming in at a much higher point count now than on the old pro points plan. I was on loads of points to start with and had plenty spare for treats. I am cooking most things from scratch now to reduce points and switching snacks to lower pointed options, although those are more limited now. I don't have the WW meals, but I think there are plenty of other ready meal options that are more filling for similar points. Someone at my WW meeting mentioned some of the SW meals sold in Iceland are pretty good. Maybe worth a look?

KenDoddsDadsDog - as you say tomorrow is a new week. Don't dwell on what had been. Focus in what you may be able to do a bit better with this week. Every step forward is a step in the right direction. Was there anything in particular that you struggled with that resulted in the 29 points over? Do you use your weeklies? Are you earning fitpoints?

Gingerbreadmam - As mentioned the Fitbit can be linked to the app. I use a Garmin which is linked. Under settings and then activity settings you need to go to synchronise device.

I think you may also need to also change something under Settings - Food Settings - Swapping. I have my fitpoints kick in after my weeklies have been used up. Each day you earn fitpoints the first few are deducted which are not available for consumption. Any earned after that are available. Seems like the norm is the first 3 points earned each day are deducted. When I started tracking my activity, my first six fitpoints were being removed. I now lose the first five I earn each day. I also now need to do more activity to earn the same number of points, as I lose more and more weight.

Forgot to say, I am pretty sure you can't eat any of the fitpoints that are earned on no count days.

Thanks Sez. I'm sure the hormones have something to do with it, and basal metabolic rate drops at menopause also. I've done a lot of reading of the medical literature about weight loss (for work, not just light reading!) and I'm a believer in a "set-point" theory- there are points where we get stuck for a while, as our bodies have adapted but once we get past it we progress nicely. And don't forget that every pound lost now is a much bigger percentage weight loss than it was 6 stone ago!

I love my Fitbit but I'm sure it overestimates calories burned- after 3 days of my usual steps (10-15k on a normal work day) and 1 HIIT workout I have got 55 activity points which seems an awful lot! I think I'll try to see them as a buffer if I go over but will try not to use them.

Sez do you have any good recipes to share? I love to cook, and have got a good few low calorie dinners that I like to do in the week (in process of working out smart points now!).

This week I've made the hairy bikers chicken jalfrezi (slightly adapted, only 6sp). Last week I made a slow cooked beef brisket joint (8sp for 125g) with a lovely cannelloni bean and leek mash (4points). Also made caulicolcannon (cauliflower, mashed with a tiny bit of butter, almond milk and kale) for only 2sp- really nice alternative to mashed potato.

EditEcho funny you should mention the set-point theory. IggyStrop posted a link to an article about this on here earlier today. I hadn't heard of it before today. Interesting to hear about the basal metabolic rate drop in menopause too. I will read up in these a bit more now!

I was using mine as a buffer, but week before last I had a bad day/evening and polished off my weeklies and used quite a few fitpoints too. That was the week I ended up losing 6lbs! But I will go back to trying to use them as a buffer again this week. Back in August when I got my activity tracker I was earning 16 fitpoints for slightly over 7900 steps. Now I need to do around 10,500 steps to earn 16 fitpoints. I still have lots to lose, so I will need to keep increasing the steps, to earn the same fitpoints!

I have tried a few nice recipes over the last few months but need to get a bit more adventurous and plan ahead a bit more! My easy weekly 'weigh in day' evening meal is often soya mince and veg chilli done in the slow cooker around 6sp plus extra points for rice. It is a large portion so I am thinking I might need to reduce the portion size a bit now! Did make a few different soups over the winter, after buying myself a soup maker. Made a few different recipes from the recipe cards we get each week at the meetings. Need to look through them to check which ones I have actually made! Made the red onion and goats cheese tartlets with filo pastry, which was the meeting card from last week. The Keema Curry Pie from the WW No Count book was nice. I swapped the beef mince for either Quorn or soya mince (can't remember which). That was a while back so I need to give that another try. Been recently making a lemon drizzle cake. Your mashes sound yummy. I really need to buy some of the newer WW cookbooks and I need to buy a Hairy Bikers one too! I like the sound of a Quorn jalfrezi!

I have recently found my old WW cookbook that I used to use a lot the very first time I joined WW. That has exchanges and optional calories, and was printed in 1990! I am going to convert some of my old favourites to sp to try them. Maybe we need to start a recipe thread?

Yes to a recipe thread please! I need to learn how to make old favourites in a WW way. I joined a recipe group on Facebook, but it's a US one - the recipes look amazing but everything is made using convenience low-fat food.

I went to a friend's house tonight and she cooked an amazing healthy dinner - then a friend of hers came round. Guess what the friend's job is? She designs cakes for a boutique bakery and she had FOUR amazing looking cakes that she needed critiquing. I mean, honestly! I only had a little sliver of each but that's a huge chunk of my weeklies gone. Oh well - didn't gorge like I would have in the past, that's something.

Iggy that's what weeklies are for! Hope the cake was delicious.

I've started a recipe thread!

thanks for the tip ive connected them now.

Yes you're right - but would prefer to use them as a buffer for the weekend. But oh well.

Will go and peruse the recipe thread for tonight's dinner!

IggyStrop why not get some extra fitpoints in as the buffer for your weekend? Hope you enjoyed the cake. As you say, you didn't gorge, like you might have done previously, so well done on being controlled and restrained. I would have found that very tempting!

Extra fitpoints is a good idea, although I try not to eat those! However extra exercise is never a bad thing... just seen your lemon drizzle cake on the recipes thread, I have such a sweet tooth I will give it a go.

IggyStrop I try not to eat my fitpoints either but the last two weeks I ate quite a few. Needs must sometimes! Did extra walking to increase the number I accrued to compensate for some of the ones I had eaten. Trying really hard to not use them or many this week. Managing a bit better so far....

The cake is nice. Not quite as good as a sponge because of the lower flour content and higher egg content, so texture is not quite the same, but it is really lemony and very tasty. Hubby loves it too. I did wait until I bought myself a decent zest grater. My old traditional style grater just gets clogged up with the zest and I was getting very little zest from it.

I'm always on a quest to find a cake substitute! last time I was on WW I adapted a mug cake recipe to make a 4sp carrot cake mug cake, that was really good. I'm going to see if I can recreate that

I'm planning on an extra gym visit this weekend, we have friends coming to stay so keeping within points will be tough.

@sez49 you mentioned above you've been on WW on and off for a long time. What is your go-to tip, if you have one?

I need to go and look at that recipe thread. Had a tricky day today when I ate my lunch at 10:45! I'm at 39 points for the day, so a lot of weeklies used. I'm home alone with the kids and as DH doesn't normally like cheese I used 14 points for dinner on a junk food pasta n' sauce packet. Normally I don't eat stuff like that but every so often it's a dirty little treat! I'll post my lasagne recipe on that thread.

IggyStrop the carrot mug cake sounds lovely. Would love the recipe for that to try sometime please!

Yes it is difficult when visiting people and when having people visit you. Last time our friends came for the day, I had similar to them, but just gave us lower pointed versions.

Not sure I have any go-to tips? This is what is happening now, or has changed for me over the years... I have learnt to deal with the obsession of weighing myself at home regularly. I haven't been on the scales for years at home now, just weigh on the scales at WW each week. I am always going to the meetings now and staying. If I thought it might not be so good, I used to miss a week, thinking I would be better and get back on track before returning. It very rarely transpired like that and usually ended up with me going off track for several weeks! Trying to make sure I keep my water intake up every day. This time, for the first time ever, I took a photo of myself a couple of weeks in, front, side, back and other side. I am taking photos usually once a month, so I can see the changes over time. I look miserable in my first batch of piccies as I hated having my photo taken and hated how I looked! I have also thrown out all my clothes that got too big as I started losing more weight. I have always held onto them before, just in case. This time, i can't go back as I will have nothing to wear! I am still weighing, measuring and tracking, even when things haven't gone to plan, I am tracking it all. If I don't I am only deceiving myself. I am not depriving myself of anything. Just having those treats occasionally and in moderation. When I have totallly excluded something in the past, it always ends up being craved at some point and then I can find I am out of control! It really helps me this time as WW leader is fab and hubby is also following plan with me, so has been really supportive. I think I am finally approaching this with a view to being a lifestyle change rather than a 'quick fix'. I always eat all my daily and weekly points.

Thank you so much for that.

I have a tendency to give up (am sure I'm not alone) when things go off track, or when I plateau. So a good reminder to keep measuring/weighing.

I don't drink enough water - need to remedy that one. I've been meaning to take photos, that is a good idea too.

No WW in my country, unfortunately. Which is why I'm planning to make myself accountable on these threads instead. I'm going to force myself to do that every week. I've been on the threads before and (as above) drifted away when things didn't go my way.

Thanks for taking the time to give me your tips.

Hey all, mind if I jump on in? I've done slimming work on and off for ages, lost 2 1/2 stone but reached a non moving point! I have 1st 3lb to get to target and joined WW online on Tuesday night... had a good few days start, enjoying the freedom of the points but hoping for some motivation here as I can't get to groups.
No one in my family/friends know I've joined as i have some issues when it comes to weight loss and probably drive them mad. So I'm doing this alone and without wittering on about it to anyone.. looking forward to getting to know you!

IggyStrop - I first joined WW about 27/28 years ago. I have lost count how many times I have re-started and how many other diets I have also tried in between. I decided many years ago that WW is the one that works for me, but have still given up so many times. This is the longest I have stuck with it. As you say plateaus and unexpected gains on the scales have tended to de-rail me in the past. It helps as I have come so far already and don't want to blow it now. I am trying to accept the not so good results, even when undeserved and keep going, however frustrating it is.

Some people take their measurements and even when the scales don't always show the results, they can see the measurements are improving. As you say, I have given up so many times in the past, when things haven't gone the right way. I used to binge and then think I had blown it anyway and continue to ruin the rest of the week, when I had my mini binge the other week, I tracked it and then went to bed so I couldn't eat any more. And felt better being back in control the next day. I also am much more aware of my triggers, and learning to deal with them in different ways. Tiredness was my downfall the other week. I was very tired yesterday but was more aware when I started to rummage around in the kitchen last night! I definitely find that sometimes I feel hungry when in fact I am a bit dehydrated and only need some water. I have a bottle on the side that I use, and refill during the day, so I know how much water I have had.

I have been focusing on small goals at a time, rather than the overwhelming target weight. Each stone I lose, and each new stone bracket I reach is a mini goal for me. Small steps.

Welcome owlsandbadgers. Well done on your loss so far. I didn't tell my family I was doing WW for the first month. It was only when we had a big family meal out that I mentioned it, as I was being good. If we hadn't had that meal out, I would probably have kept quieter for longer! I didn't mention it to my friends for some time either. I have given up so many times in the past, I just wanted to get started and see if I could keep going for a while. Plateaus are hard. A couple of people on here have mentioned the set point theory a couple of days ago. Worth a read about that.

First week weigh in and I lost 5 1/2lbs. So happy as I've really struggled some days this week to get into the system of it all.

Fantastic wintersdawn! It can take a bit of time to get your head around it all and to get into the swing of it all. Take it a day at a time.

I'm so looking forward to weekend off after 12 days at work in a row! DH keen to go for lunch tomorrow- anyone with eating out guide have suggestions of where and what come in at reasonable smart points? Should have 30 weeklies and have around 65 fitpoints (but don't want to use them).

Well done winter that's amazing! Welcome owls!

Given my fatigue tonight we are having a very exciting dinner of omelette!

EditEcho have you got the app? There is a restaurants section down at the bottom on iOS version. Can't see it on my Android version though but don't know if it's not there, I can't see it, or it needs updating. If you type in a restaurant name in search I think it should throw up some options if that particular restaurant is listed.

Wow wintersdawn that is phenomenal! Nice work.

Thanks @sez49. I did not know that about improvements in measurements even if the scales aren't moving. I need to dig out my tape measure. And drink more water. I work from home on my own and I think boredom plays a part in my eating, so that is a definite trigger. Well, not boredom as such - I always have plenty to do. Just those little breaks when you'd usually chat with a colleague are now filled by strolling to the fridge!